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Surv 


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ation 


By  the 


[ochester  Chamber  of  Commerce 


Survey  of  Needs  in  Commercial 
Education 


By  the 
Rochester  Chamber  of  Commerce 


CONTENTS 


Page 


Purposes 3 

Matters  of  General  Interest 4 

Recommendations  of  the  Committee 7 

Acknowledgment 13 

Appendix 13 

Firms  Canvassed 16 

Committee.  .  Inside  Back  Cover 


Survey  of  Needs  in  Commercial 
Education 

By  the 

Commercial  and  Industrial  Education  Committee 

of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 

Rochester,  New  York 


Purposes. 

This  survey  was  undertaken  in  the  belief  that  mutual  advantage 
would  result  to  the  business  men,  the  educational  authorities,  and 
to  the  boys  and  girls  of  Rochester. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  following  benefits  and  many  others  may 
accrue  to  all  parties  concerned: 

1.  That  the  requirements  of  business  with  reference  to  com- 
mercial employees  may  be  better  understood  by  the  local 
educational  authorities. 

2.  That  the  commercial  courses  now  being  offered  by  the 
schools  of  Rochester  may  be  more  thoroughly  understood 
by  the  business  men  who  are  in  a  position  to  pass  intelligent 
judgment  on  their  merit. 

3.  That  such  changes  in  the  present  courses  of  study  as  may 
seem  necessary  after  careful  consideration,  may  be  made 
upon  the  recommendation  of  this  committee. 

4.  That  in  business  training  as  in  industrial  training,  the 
educational  authorities  and  business  men  may  continue  to 
cooperate  with  each  other  to  the  end  that  more  efficiently 
trained  young  people  may  be  available  when  clerical  help 
is  required. 

415518 


/„  ::„;«--:**.•*"   Rinds  of  Positions  Included 

The  survey  includes  1303  commercial  workers  divided  among 
twenty-one  positions  as  indicated  below: 


Kind  of  Work 

Female 

Male 

Advertising  clerks 

1 

1 

Auditors 

14 

0 

Bookkeepers 

30 

58 

Clerical-factory 

10 

3 

Clerical-General  Office 

259 

195 

Cost  clerks 

3 

0 

Cashiers 

67 

2 

Collectors 

0 

1 

Credit  Clerks 

2 

0 

Mail  Order  Clerks 

1 

0 

Messengers 

7 

20 

Order  and  Billing  Clerks 

39 

28 

Pay  roll  clerks 

21 

1 

Sales  and  record  clerks 

58 

2 

Salespeople 

210 

40 

Stenographers 

83 

8 

Shipping  and  Receiving  clerks 

0 

92 

Stock  clerks 

5 

4 

Timekeepers 

1 

3 

Typists 

29 

2 

Tag  writers 

3 

0 

TOTALS 

843 

460 

GRAND  TOTAL 

1303 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 


Matters  of  General  Interest 

DEFICIENCIES   NOTED 

The  employers  were  asked  to  state  briefly  the  deficiencies 
which  they  have  noted  in  the  training  of  their  employees.  The 
most  important  criticisms  made  in  answer  to  this  question  were 
the  following:  Inability  to  perform  arithmetical  computations 
quickly  and  accurately;  inability  to  write  easily,  rapidly,  and 
legibly;  lack  of  preparation  in  the  use  of  the  English  language; 
insufficient  knowledge  of  place  geography;  lack  of  interest  in 
their  work;  absence  of  any  power  of  initiative;  inability  to  concen- 
trate for  even  a  brief  period  of  time;  lack  of  general  information; 
absence  of  any  general  efficiency  in  the  handling  of  their  work. 

4 


REMEDIAL   MEASURES 

Employers  were  asked  to  name  some  remedial  measures  for 
use  in  correcting  the  deficiencies  noted  and  the  following  sugges- 
tions were  made:  The  school  authorities  should  give  more 
attention  to  the  fundamentals  of  English  and  Arithmetic  and 
should  place  more  emphasis  on  Business  Writing;  more  boys 
should  be  interested  in  the  study  of  shorthand;  a  closer  relation 
should  be  established  between  the  school  and  business;  there 
should  be  more  specific  vocational  education  along  commercial 
lines;  there  should  be  continuation  courses  in  commercial  subjects 
either  in  the  day  or  evening  school;  greater  attention  should  be 
given  to  the  development  of  business  habits  in  the  boys  and  girls 
during  their  school  course;  the  largest  possible  number  of  men 
teachers  should  be  employed  to  give  instruction  in  business  subjects. 

DIFFICULTY   IN    SECURING   GOOD    STENOGRAPHERS 

Employers  were  asked  if  they  experienced  any  difficulty  in 
securing  competent  stenographers.  Two- thirds  replied  that  they 
experienced  great  difficulty;  one-sixth  answered  no;  and  one- 
sixth  were  somewhat  indefinite  in  their  replies.  The  following 
deficiencies  were  noted  in  connection  with  the  preparation  of 
stenographers;  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  English  language;  lack 
of  general  education;  lack  of  familiarity  with  special  and  general 
business  vocabulary;  inability  to  edit  letters  when  required; 
inability  to  spell  correctly  and  use  proper  punctuation;  uncer- 
tainty in  the  reading  of  their  notes;  and  failure  to  understand  the 
importance  of  remaining  long  enough  in  one  position  to  learn  the 
business  and  become  familiar  with  its  special  vocabulary. 

Thirty-five  per  cent  of  those  who  were  canvassed  state  that 
they  secure  their  stenographers  from  schools,  while  65%  secure 
them  from  other  sources  including  typewriter  agencies,  newspaper 
advertisements,  recommendations  of  friends,  etc. 

SPECIAL   VALUE   OF   TYPEWRITING 

Quite  a  large  proportion  of  the  employers  stated  that  any  office 
worker  would  be  much  more  valuable  with  a  knowledge  of  type- 
writing even  though  he  was  not  able  to  write  shorthand. 

IMPORTANCE   OF   BOOKKEEPING 

About  60%  of  the^employers  canvassed  stated  that  an  assistant 
bookkeeper  would  not  need  to  be  familiar  with  the  principles  of 
double-entry  bookkeeping  as  the  modern  set  of  books  is  highly 

5 


sectionalized  and  much  of  the  bookkeeping  work  is  mere  routine; 
40%  of  those  canvassed  seem  to  feel,  however,  that  any  office 
worker  is  much  more  valuable  and  also  much  more  certain  of 
promotion  if  he  is  well  grounded  in  the  fundamental  principles  of 
double-entry  bookkeeping. 

ADVERTISING   AND    SALESMANSHIP 

All  the  employers  agreed  that  fundamental  principles  of 
advertising  and  salesmanship  should  be  taught  in  connection  with 
commercial  courses. 

ADDING   MACHINES 

Ninety  per  cent  of  the  employers  canvassed  use  adding  ma- 
chines and  60%  stated  that  it  would  be  very  desirable  to  have 
instruction  given  on  the  adding  machine  in  connection  with 
commercial  courses. 

DICTATING   MACHINES 

Dictating  machines  are  used  by  33  1-3%  of  the  employers 
included  in  our  canvass  and  it  was  suggested  that  graduates  of 
commercial  courses  should  have  some  facility  in  the  art  of  trans- 
cribing from  the  dictating  machine. 

MALE    STENOGRAPHERS 

Ninety  per  cent,  of  the  employers  do  not  use  male  stenographers 
and  yet  the  10%  who  do  use  such  stenographers  have  some  excep- 
tionally good  positions  open  to  young  men. 

SOURCES  OF   OFFICE   HELP 

The  employers  were  asked  from  what  sources  they  obtained 
commercial  workers  for  the  positions  included  in  the  list  given 
above  and  the  following  answers  were  received :  Promotion  from 
the  present  force;  friends  of  present  employees;  through  voluntary 
applications;  from  other  employers;  from  typewriter  companies; 
from  commercial  schools;  from  colleges  and  technical  schools; 
from  parochial  schools;  and  through  advertisements. 

LACK   OF   PROMOTION   PLAN 

It  is  significant  that  while  nearly  all  employers  complained 
that  office  workers  do  not  remain  in  one  position  long  enough  to 
become  thoroughly  familiar  with  their  duties,  nearly  80%  stated 
they  had  no  definite  plan  for  the  regular  advancement  of  such 
employees.  The  only  class  of  employees  who  seem  to  be  advanced 
according  to  any  system  is  the  sales  force  who  are  promoted  on 
the  basis  of  average  sales. 

6 


RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE  COMMITTEE 

TO   THE    SCHOOL   AUTHORITIES 

1.  Arithmetic — Greater  emphasis  should  be  placed  on  busi- 
ness  arithmetic   with   special  reference   to   local   needs. 
The  practice  of  Rochester  business  men  in  the  matter  of 
handling    arithmetical    problems   should    be    definitely 
ascertained  by  a   committee   of  commercial  arithmetic 
teachers,  acting  under  the  direction  of  the  Committee  on 
Commercial  and  Industrial  Education.     This  will  bring 
the  teachers  and  business  men  into  closer  relation  with 
each  other  to  their  mutual  advantage. 

2.  English — In  addition  to  the  present  work  in  English  it 
seems  necessary  to  suggest  that  students  be  given  more 
drill  on  the  fundamentals,  such  as  spelling,  punctuation, 
word   study   and   vocabulary   building,   business   terms, 
letter  forms,  etc.     Simple  business  letter  writing  should 
receive  more  attention. 

3.  Geography — A  more  intimate  knowledge  of  place  geog- 
raphy is  very  much  to  be  desired  and  it  is  suggested  that 
this  subject  be  given  more  attention  in  the  upper  grades 
than  it  has  been  receiving.     File  clerks,  shipping  and 
receiving  clerks,  etc.   need  a  better  knowledge  of  the 
location  of  cities  and  states,  and  also  a  more  thorough 
knowledge  of  trade  routes.     It  is  further  recommended 
that  the  school  authorities  be  assisted  in  teaching  this 
subject    by    the    Chamber    of    Commerce    through  the 
various  business  interests  therein  represented. 

4.  Writing— The  Committee  finds  that  at  least  100%  more 
emphasis  is  being  placed  on  writing  in  the  public  schools 
at  the  present  time,  and  that  the  long  used  vertical  system 
has  been  abandoned  in  favor  of  the  more  desirable  slant 
business  style.     The  only  recommendation  on  this  subject 
that  seems*  ad visable  is  that  this  new  movement  in  the 
direction  of  better  penmanship  be  continued. 

5.  Bookkeeping — From  the  survey  it  would  appear  that 
general  business  training  should  receive  more  attention 
in  addition  to  the  technical  instruction  in  bookkeeping. 
Every   commercial   course   graduate  should  be  familiar 
with  the  principles  of  double-entry  bookkeeping,  but  he 

7 


does  not  need  to  be  an  expert  bookkeeper.  Only 
of  the  1303  commercial  workers  are  bookkeepers  and  the 
majority  of  these  are  routine  clerks  on  a  highly  specialized 
and  sectionalized  set  of  books. 

6.  Advertising    and    Salesmanship — 100%    of    the    firms 
replied  that  advertising  should  be  taught  in  the  schools. 
It  is  therefore  recommended  that  this  matter  be  presented 
to  the  schools  with  the  request  that  such  courses  be  given 
to  all  day  commercial  students  as  well  as  to  evening  classes. 

7.  Adding   Machines — In   view   of   the   fact   that   adding 
machines  are  used  by  90%  of  the  firms  canvassed,  it  is 
recommended  that  operators  be  trained  in  the  commercial 
courses. 

8.  Business  Habits — It  is  strongly  recommended  that  such 
business  habits  as  obedience,  courtesy,  industry,  thought- 
fulness,  promptness,  loyalty,  etc.,  be  made  the  subjects 
of  definite  and  conscious  instruction  in  all  commercial 
courses.     Frequent  talks  by  those  who  know  their  value 
should  be  given  to  commercial  students.     No  teacher 
can  handle  these  subjects  as  effectively  as  the  man  in 
business  can.     A  definite  series  of  talks  should  be  arranged 
for  by  this  committee. 

9.  Vocational  Interest — Steps  should  be  taken  to  stimulate  a 
greater  interest  on  the  part  of  the  pupil  in  the  business 
career  for  which  he  has  decided  to  make  adequate  prep- 
aration.    Talks  by  business  men  and  teachers  on  local 
industries  should  be  given  frequently.    These  talks  should 
be  given  for  the  purpose  of  arousing  a  lasting  interest  in 
business,  and  not  merely  to  give  familiarity  with  one  par- 
ticular industry. 

10.  Sticking  to  one  Job — It  is  also  recommended  that  pupils 
be  taught  the  very  great  advantage  of  sticking  to  one  job 
long  enough  to  thoroughly  test  its   advantages  before 
seeking  another  position  and  that  future  prospects  are 
better  than  immediate  gain. 

11.  Continuation    Courses — Continuation    courses    in    the 
evening  schools  are  offered  for  those  who  desire  to  improve 
their  commercial  training.     Only  about  10%  of  the  1303 
employees  canvassed  are  taking  advantage  of  this  oppor- 

8 


timity.  It  is  recommended  that  this  matter  be  clearly 
and  definitely  presented  to  all  commercial  employees  in 
Rochester  that  they  may  be  acquainted  with  the  oppor- 
tunities in  these  courses.  A  committee  to  handle  this 
matter  should  be  appointed. 

It  is  recommended  that  short  unit  courses  be  provided 
along  any  special  line  that  may  be  suggested  and  that 
the  committee  referred  to  above  ascertain  just  what 
courses  are  desired  and  report  to  the  school  authorities 
in  order  that  they  may  be  established  at  the  earliest 
practicable  date. 

12.  Better  Stenographers — In  view  of  the  criticism  made 
regarding  stenographers,  it  is  recommended  that  schools 
exercise  greater  care  in  accepting  students  for  the  short- 
hand  course.      General   education,    maturity,   thorough 
knowledge  of  English,  good   vocabulary,  clean  personal 
habits,  etc.,  are  necessary  to  success  in  stenographic  work. 
Only  those  who  have  reasonable  assurance  of  success 
should  be  encouraged  to  enter  this  field. 

13.  Men  Teachers — It  is  recommended  that  so  far  as  possible 
only  men  teachers  be  employed  for  such  business  subjects 
as  bookkeeping,  office  practice,  and  commercial  arithmetic. 
Those  who  are  being  trained  for  office  work  should  come 
in  contact  with  men  as  much  as  possible  and  it  will  also  be 
easier  for  men   teachers  to  keep  in  closer  touch  with 
business    methods    in   all   the   best   business   houses   of 
Rochester. 

TO   EMPLOYERS 

1.  Evening   School  Attendance — It  is   recommended  that 
each  employer  be  asked  to  canvass  his  office  workers  and 
to  urge  any  who  would  profit  by  evening  school  instruc- 
tion, to  enroll  in  some  good  school.     Employers  should 
be  informed  periodically  by  the  Board  of  Education  of  the 
progress  which  their  employees  are  making  in  the  evening 
courses. 

2.  Developing  Initiative — It  is  recommended  that  a  joint 
committee  of  business  men  and  representatives  of  the 
Board  of  Education  be  appointed  to  devise  ways  and 
means  of  developing   the    power   of    initiative   in    con- 

9 


nection  with  school  work.  It  is  believed  that  business 
men  who  see  the  great  lack  in  this  direction  can  materially 
aid  school  authorities  in  their  efforts  to  develop  in  the 
student  this  important  business  qualification. 

3.  General  Efficiency  Work — General  efficiency  in  the  handling 
of  all  kinds  of  school  duties  as  well  as  in  the  performance 
of  assigned  tasks  should  be  emphasized  in  all  commercial 
courses.    To  this  end  it  is  recommended  that  a  business 
man  who  has  given  special  thought  to  this  phase  of  bus- 
iness be  asked  to  meet  the  commercial  teachers  and  make 
suggestions  along  this  line.    Such  an  advisor  might  name 
a  list  of  valuable  books  on  the  subject  of  efficiency;  help 
in  the  solution  of  definite  problems  along  this  line  in 
school  and  class  organization;   and  bring  about  a  greater 
similarity  between  school  and  business  methods. 

4.  Securing  Office  Help — The  survey  shows  conclusively 
that  in  the  employment  of  public  school  trained  boys  and 
girls,  the  school  authorities  are  not  consulted  and  yet  the 
public  schools  are  often  held  to  account  for  the  short- 
comings in  such  help.    It  is  recommended  that  when  in 
need  of  boys  and  girls  who  have  had  public  school  training, 
the  principals  of  schools  or  Board  of  Education  office  be 
called  so  that  the  best  prepared  and  most  needy  and  de- 
serving product  of  the  schools  may  be  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  employer.     While  there  are  many  more 
public  school  trained  people  in  the  list  canvassed  than 
there  are  private  school  trained,  no  firm  stated  that  the 
public  school  authorities  were  ever  consulted  in  employing 
the  product  of  the  public  school,  while  private  schools  are 
given  a  chance  to  select  their  own  graduates  to  fill  positions 
called  to  their  attention.    The  Board  of  Education  office 
will  gladly  cooperate  in  getting  any  kind  of  help  that  is 
being  trained  in  the  public  schools.     It  is  strongly  urged 
that  employers  report  to  the  Board  of  Education  regarding 
the  success  or  failure  of  any  of  their  employees  who  were 
recommended  by  the  school  authorities. 

5.  Stenographic  Help — Two-thirds  of  the  firms  canvassed 
have  difficulty  in  securing  good  stenographers.    In  this  con- 
nection it  is  interesting  to  note  that  only  35%  are  secured 
from  the  schools  that  trained  them.    The  other  65%  are 

10 


obtained  from  miscellaneous  sources.  It  is  suggested 
that  well  recommended  beginners  are  frequently  better 
than  experienced  stenographers  who  are  unrecommended. 
The  schools  usually  have  both  experienced  and  inex- 
perienced people  on  their  lists,  and  their  own  interests 
demand  that  only  the  ones  who  can  make  good  be  re- 
commended. 

6.  Promotion — Since  78%  of  the  firms  canvassed  have  no 
definite  plan  of  promotion,  and  the  remaining  22%  have 
a  plan  only  with  reference  to  their  selling  force,  it  is 
recommended  that  all  firms  be  urged  to  devise  some  plan 
whereby  every  worthy  employee  will  be  made  to  under- 
stand   that    promotion    will    automatically    and    surely 
follow  success  on  his  part.    It  is  believed  that  this  is  the 
best  way  to  make  the  floater  a  permanent  link  in  any 
business  organization.    The  number  of  employees  under 
26  years  of  age  in  this  survey  who  have  been  promoted  to 
their  present  positions  is  only  33  1-3  %  of  the  total.    The 
statistics  bear  out  the  complaint  that  employees  of  this 
type  do  not  remain  in  one  place  long  enough.     A  pro- 
motion plan  might  remedy  this  situation  to  some  extent. 

7.  Co-Operation — It  is  recommended  that  all  employers  be 
asked  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  co-operate  with 
the  educational  authorities  in  their  efforts  to  make  their 
courses  practical,  by  furnishing  type  problems  in  arith- 
metic,   detailed    information    regarding    the    scope    and 
character  of  their  office  practice,  and  general  information 
regarding  their  bookkeeping  systems  and  general  office 
requirements;  and  further,  by  taking  students  whenever 
practicable,  into  their  office  in  order  that  practical  knowl- 
edge of  business  methods  may  be  acquired. 

8.  Part  Time  Work — It  is  recommended  that  a  committee 
representing   the    schools    and   the    Chamber   of    Com- 
merce be  appointed  to  consider  the  matter  of  part  time 
employment   for    students    in   commercial   courses    and 
report  to  the  Committee  on  Commercial  and  Industrial 
Education  regarding  the  practicability  of  such  a  plan. 

TO    THE    BOYS   AND.  GIRLS 

1.     Future  opportunity  is  far  more  important  than  immediate 
gain.    Every  young  person  should  determine  to  secure  a 

11 


position  with  a  future  and  then  stick  to  the  job  until  he  has 
won  for  himself  a  high  place  in  the  regard  of  his  employer. 
Stability  will  contribute  much  to  your  future  growth  and 
you  should  not  permit  yourself  to  be  argued  into  changing 
positions  for  a  slight  advance  in  salary  unless  you  have 
other  good  reasons  for  making  the  change. 

2.  Special  commercial  education  will  aid  you  in  making  your 
way  in  the  business  world,  but  strength  of  character  will 
do  much  more  for  you  in  this  direction. 

3.  You  must  be  industrious,  courteous,  honest,  thoughtful, 
and  loyal  to  your  employers  all  the  time  if  you  would 
achieve  the  largest  measure  of  success  in  your  life  work. 

4.  Remember  that  the  young  person  who  begins  at  the 
bottom  has  the  advantage  of  learning  the  business  from 
the  bottom  up.    He  who  begins  part  way  up  the  ladder 
of  success  may  miss  an  opportunity  to  learn  some  of  the 
very   important   principles   underlying   the   business   in 
which  he  is  engaged. 

TO   THE   PARENTS 

1.  This  survey  has  developed  the  fact  that  a  broad  general 
education   and    also    some    special    education   is   neces- 
sary  for   the   young   man   and   the   young  woman  who 
would  succeed  in  the  business  world.     You  are  strongly 
urged  to  give  your  son  and  daughter  the  longest  possible 
period  of  time  in  which  to  complete  their  education  for 
business.     The  full  high  school  course  is  none  too  long. 
And  nothing  short  of  economic  pressure  in  the  home 
should  cause  you  to  take  your  boy  or  girl  out  of  school 
before  he  or  she  has  secured  a  good  substantial  general 
education  and  an  approved  special  course  of  training  for 
business.     It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  boys  and  girls 
handicapped  by  insufficient  training  will  make  the  progress 
of  those  who  have  had  greater  educational  advantages. 

2.  There  are  many  opportunities  for  part  time  work  and  the 
school  authorities  will  co-operate  in  securing  afternoon 
and  Saturday  work  for  those  who  need  it  and  who  are 
physically  able  to  carry  such  work  in  addition  to  their 
school  duties.    This  may  make  it  possible  for  your  boy  or 
girl  to  remain  in  school  longer  than  he  or  she  otherwise 
could. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

The  information  upon  which  this  report  is  based  could  not  have 
been  obtained  without  the  co-operation  of  the  employers  of  the 
city,  who  were  included  in  the  survey.  The  Committee  wishes  to 
express  its  appreciation  of  the  cordial  reception  given  to  its  repre- 
sentatives who  gathered  the  data  and  also  for  the  many  suggestions 
which  were  of  value  in  preparing  this  report. 

APPENDIX 

HOW  THE  SURVEY  WAS  CONDUCTED 

Two  sets  of  forms  were  prepared  for  use  in  getting  the  required 
data.  One  form  was  used  in  securing  information  about  the  in- 
dividual workers.  A  copy  of  this  form  is  given  below: 

Name 

Firm  employing  Date  Age 

Department  Position 

1.     What  elementary  (or  grammar)  school  did  you  attend  and 
in  what  city,  village  or  town  was  it  located? 

(An  answer  to  this  question  might  read,  for  example: 
"Public  School  No.  19,  Rochester"  or  "St.  Mary's 
School,  Rochester,"  or  "District  School  No.  3,  Gates" 
or  "Public  School,  Victor.") 

&.     Did  you  graduate?    If  not,  how  far  did  you  go? 

3.  Did  you  attend  any  high  school  or  academy?    Give  name 
and  location. 

4.  How  long  did  you  attend  high  school  or  academy?     Did 
you  graduate? 

5.  Did  you  take  any  commercial  subjects  in  high  school  or 
academy?    If  so,  what  were  they,  and  how  long  did  you 
study  each? 

(An  answer  might  be,  for  example:  "Stenography,  1 
year,  3  periods  a  week, "  "Typewriting,  1  year,  2  periods, " 
"Business  correspondence  Y^  year,  5  periods.") 

6.  Have  you  had  a  special  business  course  elsewhere  than  in 
high  school  or  academy?     Where?     How  long  was  this 
course?    What  subjects  did  it  include,  and  how  long  did 
you  study  each?     (Please  answer  in  the  way  suggested 
for  question  5) . 

13 


7.     In  what  year,  and  approximate  month  did  you  leave  the 
school  you  last  attended? 

Each  commercial  employee  was  requested  to  fill  out 
one  of  these  forms.  On  the  back  of  this  form  the  employer 
placed  a  rating  as  follows:  A-Excellent,  B-Good, 
C-Fair. 

The  second  form  was  used  in  getting  general  informa- 
tion from  the  employers  canvassed.    A  copy  of  this  form 
is  given  below : 
Business 
Firm  Name 

Number  employed  June  1,  in  commercial  occupations — 
including  office  force,  shipping  clerks,  etc. : 
Male  Female  Total 


Kinds  of    work  done  by 
these  people  —  to  be  given 
in  the  natural  order  of  the 
workers'  advancement  so 
far  as  practicable 

No. 
Employed  at 
each  kind  of 
work 

No.  less  than 
26  years  old 

No.  under  £6 
advanced 
from  lower 
positions  in 
your 
establishment 

Male 

Female 

Male 

Female 

Of  persons  under  26  years  of  age  at  time  of  leaving, 
who  voluntarily  withdrew  from  your  employment  within 
the  last  year — June  1,  1913,  to  May  31,  1914,  inclusive: 


No.  who  have  been  with  you  less 
than  a  year 

Male 

Female 

A  year  or  more,  and  less  than 
two  years 

Two  years  or  more,  and  less  than 
three  years 

Three  years  or  more 

Total  number 

14 


The  investigators  used  the  following  list  of  questions 
in  interviews  with  the  representatives  of  the  firms  can- 
vassed and  the  answers  have  been  tabulated  in  a  later 
part  of  this  report : 

QUESTIONS  FOR  SURVEY  OF  NEEDS  IN  COMMERCIAL 
EDUCATION 

(F)   1.     How  many  people  are  employed  in  the  commercial  side 
of  your  business — office  force,  sales  force,  shipping  clerks,, 
etc.? 
Male 
Female 

(F)  2.  What  kinds  of  work  do  they  perform,  given  in  the  natural 
order  of  advancement,  and  how  many  are  employed  in 
each  kind? 

(F)  3.  How  many  of  those  employed  in  each  kind  of  work  are 
twenty-five  years  of  age  and  under? 

4.     In  what  respects,  if  any,  do  these  people  seem  to  be 
deficient  in  their  educational  preparation? 

(F)  5.  How  far  had  they  gone  in  school  before  securing  employ- 
ment? 

(F)  6.  How  many  left  you  during  the  past  year  who  were  with 
you  less  than  a  year;  how  many  who  were  with  you  one 
year  but  less  than  two;  how  many  two  years  but  less  than 
three;  how  many  three  years  or  more? 

7.  What  remedial  measures  would  you  suggest  to  us  for  the 
correction  of  the  deficiencies  noted? 

8.  What  method  do  you  follow  in  securing  help  of  the  classes 
included  in  your  answer  to  Question  1  ? 

9.  Have  you  any  definite  plans  for  the  regular  advance- 
ment of  such  employees? 

(F)10.  How  many  different  grades  of  work  were  recruited  from 
the  lower  positions? 

11.  Would  instruction  in  typewriting  be  of  advantage  to  your 
office  workers  who  are  not  regular  stenographers  or 
typists? 

15 


12.  Do   you   have   difficulty   in   securing   competent   steno- 
graphers?    In  what  respects,  if  any,  are  stenographers 
quite  generally  deficient? 

13.  Do  you  secure  your  stenographers  from  schools,  or  from 
other  sources? 

14.  Do  you  use  male  stenographers? 

15.  Do  you  use  dictating  machines?     If  so,  do  you  have 
difficulty  in  getting  trained  operators? 

16.  Do  you  use   adding  or  calculating  machines?     Would 
instruction  on  these  machines  in  school  be  advantageous 
to  pupils? 

17.  Is  it  necessary  that  your  assistant  bookkeepers  be  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  the  principles  of  double-entry  book- 
keeping?    Is  it  advantageous? 

18.  In  your  judgment,  should  the  fundamental  principles  of 
advertising  and  salesmanship  be  taught  in  connection 
with^commercial  courses? 

Note:     "F"  before  a  question  indicates  that  a  blank 
form  has  been  prepared  for  securing  information  indicated. 

FIRMS  CANVASSED  IN  THE  SURVEY 

Bausch  &  Lomb  Optical  Company 
Buffalo,  Rochester  &  Pittsburgh  Ry.  Co. 
Burke,  FitzSimons,  Hone  Co.,  Inc. 
Duffy-Powers  Co. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company 
German-American  Button  Co. 
Hickey-Freeman  Co. 
Knowlton,  M.  D.  Co. 
McCurdy,  Robinson  Co. 
Rochester  Railway  &  Light  Co. 
Sherwood  Shoe  Co. 
Sibley,  Linsday  &  Curr  Co. 
G.  W.  Todd  &  Co. 
Utz  &  Dunn 

16 


Several  other  firms  were  asked  to  co-operate,  but  for  what 
seemed  to  them  good  reasons,  they  were  unable  to  get  the  forms 
filled  out  for  the  committee  in  time  to  be  included  in  this  report. 
The  survey  committee  feels,  however,  that  a  more  extended  survey 
would  not  materially  alter  the  results.  The  individual  records  of 
1303  employees  were  received  and  they  may  be  considered  typical 
of  what  would  be  found  in  a  survey  of  every  Rochester  firm,  and 
entirely  adequate  for  the  purposes  of  this  inquiry. 

EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES  OF  EMPLOYEES 

While  the  individual  record  blanks  of  1303  employees  were 
received,  339  of  them  were  not  rated  by  the  employer  and  we  have 
therefore,  not  included  them  in  the  following  analysis: 

Number  who  finished  the  6th  grade  only 18 

«          «          «        the  7th     "         «      142 

"          "          "        the  8th     «        "       370 

1  yr.    in  High  School 103 

"  «        2  yrs.  in     «          "       148 

3  yrs.  in     «          "       100 

4  yrs.  in     "          «       83 

Per  cent,  of  all  who  had  less  than  grammar  school 

education 17% 

Per  cent,  of  all  who  had  a  grammar  school  education 

only 39% 

Per  cent,  of  all  who  had  1  yr.    in  High  School  only       10% 

"       "       "     "     "       "     2  yrs.   "     «  «  «          15% 

"       "       "     "     "       "     3  yrs.  "     "  «  "          10% 

«       «       "     «     «       «     4  yrs.  u     "  "  "  9% 

Total  number  who  had  taken  a  business  school 

course 211  or  21% 

Total  number  who  had  taken  a  business  course  in 

public  or  parochial  school 145  or  15% 

Total  number  who  had  received  any  special  training 

for  business 356  or  37% 

Total  number  who  had  received  no  special  training  608  or  63% 

RATING  BY  EMPLOYERS 

Number  who  received  their  general  education  in 

public  schools  of  Rochester.  .  432 

Number  who  received  their  education  in  parochial 

schools  of  Rochester 259 

17 


Number  who  received  their  general  education  outside 

of  Rochester 273 

Per  cent,  of  public  school  trained  rated  "  Excellent " .  .  43% 
"  "  "  parochial  school  trained  rated  "Excellent"  34% 
«  "  "  outside  school  trained  rated  "Excellent"  45% 

u       "      "  all  rated  excellent 47% 

"       "      "  public  school  trained  rated  "Good" 46% 

"       "      "  parochial  school  trained  rated  "Good".  .   53% 
"       "      u  outside  school  trained  rated  "Good"...  .   42% 

«       «      "  all  rated  "Good"..., 46% 

"       "      "  public  school  trained  rated  "Fair" 11% 

"       "      u  parochial  school  trained  rated  "Fair".  ..    13% 
"       u      "  outside  school  trained  rated  "Fair"  13% 

"       "      "  all  rated  "Fair" 7% 

It  will  be  noted  from  the  above  statistics  that  over  half,  or 
56%,  of  the  employees  considered  had  only  a  grammar  school 
education  or  less.  Also,  that  only  9%  had  received  the  benefits  of 
a  complete  high  school  education.  Further,  that  63%  had  re- 
ceived no  special  commercial  training  before  taking  their  places 
as  commercial  workers.  It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  53%  of 
those  with  special  training  who  were  marked  "fair"  are  not 
engaged  in  work  for  which  their  special  training  would  be  supposed 
to  fit  them,  therefore,  it  is  not  fair  to  assume  that  such  special 
training  was  defective  in  any  way.  This  fact  may  indicate,  how- 
ever, that  courses  in  commercial  training  could  be  modified  so  as 
to  provide  specific  training  for  a  larger  variety  of  work,  as  is  indi- 
cated in  the  table  of  occupations  given  in  the  first  part  of  this 
report. 

PRINTING 

Every  firm  canvassed  in  securing  material  for  this  report  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  know  the  outcome  of  this  survey,  and  it  is 
recommended  that  the  foregoing  report,  as  approved  by  the 
Committee  on  Commercial  and  Industrial  Education,  be  printed 
for  general  distribution  and  that  copies  be  mailed  to  the  firms 
who  co-operated  with  the  Survey  Committee  in  its  work. 


18 


AND  INDUSTRIAL 


I:  ,     h  :'   0  ';-  -;- 

[saa<    Mayei , 

J.  \  .  M<  Vrea 
Prof,  How,: ,- 
J.G.  Miner, 
F.  G.  Nichol 

-Rush  Kb v   , 
Leon  Sier 
Steplien  J. 


